Great to see you giving this a go, mate. Like I said before, this game gave me hours of fun; and frustration. It came in a five-game bundle when I first got my PS1 in 96. This, Rayman, Worms, True Pinball and Street Racer. Street Racer was an abomination of a game. Stay away from that one.
The reason you were having more problems on the Switzerland track was because it was on normal roads. The road tracks are normally quicker than the others, so you have to be more careful when turning. There are also different car-types to drive as well, later on. You get to use dune buggy's and F1 cars in the later sections on some of the courses. Each Country has 6 different tracks with an hidden track somewhere in one of the tracks to find.; making seven in total You'll know it when you see it. It's like a bright yellowish light that you have to drive into.